YOU can bank on Michael Ricketts but who else will be the scoring stars of the Reebok?

With 12 to his name, 'The Rocket' claimed more than a quarter of Wanderers' Premiership goals last season, including breathtaking strikes at Old Trafford, Highbury and White Hart Lane.

His mate Kevin Nolan was next best with eight, a magnificent performance by the midfielder who, then only 19, had the distinction of scoring the first Premiership goal of the season; and Youri Djorkaeff and Fredi Bobic chipped in with four apiece - all of which were vital in the final survival reckoning.

But Wanderers know they will have to be far more creative and more clinical this time round, if they are to avoid another struggle - hence the recruitment of Jay Jay Okocha and Djorkaeff, who struck a mutual appreciation pact during his 12-match stint last season.

You cannot see Ricketts, or any other striker, struggling for chances with two world class providers - Okocha the playmaker and Djorkaeff the self-proclaimed "nine and a half" - pulling the strings.

But Allardyce has lost two of last season's front men, Bobic returning to Borussia Dortmund while Rod Wallace elected for a two-year deal with Gillingham. He also fears that, at 33, Dean Holdsworth's impact on the Premiership may be diminishing and, while Henrik Pedersen is looking leaner and sharper, and Delroy Facey as keen as mustard to impress after his switch from Huddersfield, he can ill-afford to go into the season with Ricketts as his only top line striker.

Tactically, he could get by. Wanderers' success over the last two seasons has been based on a system that employs a lone, spearhead striker - and the former Walsall hit-man is ideal for the job. Even more encouraging is to hear Phil Brown enthuse over his attitude in pre-season. "He looks dangerous and he looks to have the same great appetite he had at the start of last season," the Wanderers' assistant manager said after seeing him hit the target at Cardiff.

"He's got a smile on his face in training and looks as though he is enjoying his work, which is a great sign for us and hopefully will put the fear of God in the rest of the Premier League."

If Allardyce's search for a striker is not successful, a lot will be asked of Ricketts. But, encouragingly, he has all the attributes and the only surprising aspect of the recent failed bid by Galatasaray to lure him to Istanbul is that the Turks appear to be the only club to come in for him this summer.

Quite simply, the Birmingham-born finisher had a fantastic first season in top flight football, terrorising defences to such a degree that he gave Sven Goran Eriksson little option but to pick him for England's friendly in Holland in February.

Although his performance that night was nowhere near as poor as the London-based critics suggested, that thoroughly-deserved first cap appeared to weigh heavily on the young striker who struggled in the second half of the season to live up to the sky-high standards he set in the first. There were much-publicised "differences" with Allardyce and there are still suggestions of an "uneasy truce" between player and manager. But, given the games, he could thrive on the service he will receive from Okocha and Djorkaeff.

Premiership defences will, of course, treat him with more respect second time round but with their help and his own finishing power, this could be another big season for The Rocket.